Design Trends are enigmatic, they emerge like a creative splash. Some stay for years, some make a shift before they completely fade out. But no one can exactly say when these trends come and go!

 And it is not one year the trend comes and another year it ends. Rather these design trends shift their usability from one industry to another. Gradually make a move from areas of Graphic designing to packaging, illustration, printing, home décor and more!

These design trends can be new entrants in one market, speeding up in another and completely fading away in third.

Recognizing these trends is fun. A great way to enhance the work (Graphic Designers are PRO at it!). If you too are interested to know the design trends, remain aware, then follow this dossier.

And keep an eye on the must have design style and approaches of 2016

Graphic Design Trends (Coming up directly from the horse’s mouth!)

1. Modular Layouts

The layout is the basic presentation of the content. Whatever website, mobile application, user interface, blogs we see and read through comes under the modular layout. In technical terms, it is the card based layout. A way to organize designs, place content and images in a grid form.

It is not always that the content and everything else must be aligned in a strict grid format.

These self-contained cards or modules can be more freeform as per the likes and functionality of the designer.  This effective organizational tool helps to navigate in multiple configurations.

2. Negative Space

Good designs can be made using the negative and/or white space. It must be used strategically to design the logos and for branding projects. As the negative space can add deeper or double meaning to the design. It can also give a minimal look to the composition as well.

Through the interaction of positive and negative space, the designer can bring figurines forth, give movement and perspective to the content, make self-explanatory poster or magazine covers, and create an optical illusion and more!

These type of careful harmony makes for creative and effective abstracts. The designs that support a theme in most unexpected and subtle way!

3. Typography

This graphical trend is not just helpful in reading, but for making a statement too. It helps to stand out, play with bold, big type that grabs the eyeballs!

• Dramatic Typography

The dramatic typography helps to add more performance. It can easily become the center of attraction through right size, color, texture or arrangement of words. Make it loud and lively, handcraft the letters (make them 3D). Or simply create a harmony of different type-face styles (sans-serif) and size for one eye-catching poster or magazine cover photo.

Be minimalistic by largely playing with color and shape. Or use the linear elements, textures and freeform arrangement of letters to accentuate the look of the poster.

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4. Bold photography and sleek text

This trend is mostly seen on magazine covers and posters. And can be considered as an extension to the Typography. With a big and bold photograph, simple black and white texts and backgrounds this makes for an interesting contrast and modern sleek look. The images are sometimes made blurred or crisp as per the requirement. The sans-serif font or handwritten calligraphic type with sharp lines on a beautiful photograph or realistic painting does bring drama to the overall look.

5. Flat 2.0.

This design trend (introduced in 2006) is an amalgamation of a clean, colorful look with big typography, white space and subtle gradients. It has the appeal of visual language that creates high usability.  Majorly influenced by minimalism, Swiss, and Bauhaus style. It is growing from UI space to surface pattern design and illustration. This trend now stands updated with depth, light & shadow, and motion.

A versatile and flexible design trend already on a high in 2016!

6. Motion

The best way to make photos and illustrations to come to life is through 2D animation and cinema graphs. Motion graphical trend comes as a self- explanatory one. It is a hybrid of motion with still. With just microseconds movement – it brings the message clear, grabs attention without creating major distractions from content.

Image source:- tejas8.blogspot.com

7. Abstract, Geometrical And Material design

Material design is a visual language, acts as a metaphor, makes deliberate color choices, edgy imagery, large-scale typography, and major play with white space. This trend is peaking up in all design formats ahead of web and mobile. It gives a sense of realism through the graphical depiction of real material things too.

Abstract and Geometrical go hand in hand. With layered geometries and minimal content this trend is going strong in 2016 as well. The designers can create posters for campaigns and create abstract logos and designs using many geometrical shapes.

8. Minimalist Logotypes

The logo trends for 2016 – Concentrate on minimalism, flat design, negative space, subtle gradients, dynamic logos and crisp mono lines.

9. Fanciful Illustrations

The hand drawn simple and basic illustrations make for an all attractive and eye-catching graphical trend. It comprises of brushstrokes, sketchy lines, mixing digital and analog. Graphic designers can use these broader illustrations for simpler understanding.

Our digital age is running at lighting speed. Everyone wants a refreshing approach to outdo others in times of fierce competition. And cannot afford to remain like a passé affair, something that is obsolete and tasteless.

Now it is over to you!

Get groovy with these trends, twist and turn them, make new, exciting and interesting typographies from the known.

Have you got any more trends to add to this roundup? Want to give away your own prediction of the top trends. Share with us and fellow neck deep graphic stylists!

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